NEW TOOL SHOW DATES INFO
We are very excited to announce that TOOL will be bringing their unparalleled sonic and visual experience to a select number of cities in May and June 2017.
Along with the show dates, venues and ticket LINKS (provided below), please note the INFO regarding special PRE-SALE VIP PACKAGES for “ToolArmy” MEMBERS. For those who are NOT ToolArmy members, but would like to become one - in order to take advantage of the exclusive sale and other perks - membership purchase/signup is available via the Tool WEBSTORE (store.toolband.com). I also encourage fans of the band to keep checking back with the Tool websites and socials for additional shows. Don’t miss your chance to attend a live performance by one of the world’s most highly acclaimed bands.

The ON-SALE DATE for the following shows is FRIDAY, MARCH 17th (10:00 am local time for all shows EXCEPT for Rosemont/Chicago, which will be 11:00 am local time). VIP PACKAGES for all these shows go ON-SALE on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15th at 10:00am PST - ONLY FOR TOOLARMY MEMBERS.
SHOW DATES, VENUES, and TICKET LINKS:

fortysixand2 wrote:First time in Chicago in almost 10 years. Friday's going to be a clusterfuck for sure. It'd be really cool if they offered presales to tickets other than $500 VIP

All state arena is huge though 18500 capacity. Should be able to get tickets pretty easily, but maybe not Bridgestone Arena is 20k and that was one of the toughest tickets to get last tour. I bet they add a second Chicago show.

lachrymologist wrote:All state arena is huge though 18500 capacity. Should be able to get tickets pretty easily, but maybe not Bridgestone Arena is 20k and that was one of the toughest tickets to get last tour. I bet they add a second Chicago show.

I missed out on some lower level seats last year in Nashville because I got greedy and thought I could do better. Settled for club level so it wasn't bad. And yeah, I'd say a second Chicago show is pretty much a given. June 9th is open on the venue's calendar.

I know some of us that live in Southern California are very spoiled to see Tool a lot in the last 11 years, but what are the chances of them playing here on this tour? I want to hear Schism live again for the 13th time since my first live show in 2006 Coachella. I kid, but if they are playing a California or Vegas date I will be there and happy to see Tool live.

the chill wrote:I know some of us that live in Southern California are very spoiled to see Tool a lot in the last 11 years, but what are the chances of them playing here on this tour? I want to hear Schism live again for the 13th time since my first live show in 2006 Coachella. I kid, but if they are playing a California or Vegas date I will be there and happy to see Tool live.

I'd expect that if The Gorge show is for real, we'd probably also see a few dates on the East Coast - Portland, LA, maybe others.

Not bashing anything but this tour is the kind of thing that is frustrating. Band claims they are hard at work on a new album and yet another mini tour. Hard to be positive about Tool when they keep doing the same thing and selling $500 VIP packages in the process. Just don't understand why they can't spend that time finishing up writing and I don't understand why people keep going to their shows at this point with no new material. That said, if it makes people happy then I suppose it is a positive thing and I am sure for some this might their first time seeing the band.

Again not trying to be a dick and if this news makes you happy and you are excited for the shows that is really awesome. Just makes no sense to me. This isn't about a sense of entitlement or any other nonsense that MJK would start spewing out. Simply frustration about priorities. Say one thing do another that has been the Modus Operandi for quite some time now.

THE1TRUEMOG wrote:Not bashing anything but this tour is the kind of thing that is frustrating. Band claims they are hard at work on a new album and yet another mini tour. Hard to be positive about Tool when they keep doing the same thing and selling $500 VIP packages in the process. Just don't understand why they can't spend that time finishing up writing and I don't understand why people keep going to their shows at this point with no new material. That said, if it makes people happy then I suppose it is a positive thing and I am sure for some this might their first time seeing the band.

Again not trying to be a dick and if this news makes you happy and you are excited for the shows that is really awesome. Just makes no sense to me. This isn't about a sense of entitlement or any other nonsense that MJK would start spewing out. Simply frustration about priorities. Say one thing do another that has been the Modus Operandi for quite some time now.

Oh well enjoy the shows to whomever is going

I see your point for sure. I cant complain too much because i was lucky enough to see Tool for the first time on one of these mini tours. However i think there is a few factors that go into these mini tours:

1. Money. This is obvious. Living costs money. Albums cost money. Tours bring in money.
2. Relevance. As much as we may feel "lead on" with the new album, i do feel like it is Tool's plan to release an album in the "near future"... even if that release date keeps getting pushed out further and further. They want to stay relevant for when the album does release.
3. Festivals. Festivals know Tool sells tickets so they want them to play at their festivals. Tool plays said festivals for reasons stated in #1 and #2, but it isnt economical to only do 1 show. So they string a few together while all the members are together. And voila, we have a mini tour.

I agree with most of what you said Mog except for the $500 VIP. I did it in Vegas and it was worth every penny for any Tool fan. Adam had his guitar around his neck most of the almost 2 hours he spoke with us. He played parts of 4 degrees, one of my favorites, and played parts of other songs. He was very humble and explained a lot about the song writing. Now I don't know if these current mini tour VIP's have and will be treated to a soundcheck. If not, then it might not be worth $500 and almost defeats my argument that it's worth every penny, but soundcheck they played Sober and 46&2 sans Maynard. It was amazing and having the lights up with just an instrumental private show with the music full volume was bliss. Plus the $500 includes a guaranteed good seat and that was the closest I have ever been in a live Tool show and that was amazing. So I am happy that Adam is giving the east coast fans a chance to experience the VIP thing like I did and it's worth it but maybe not totally if they don't include a soundcheck. Crazy to say that I have been a fan of Tool for 14 years and only have experienced 1 new album coming out since.

THE1TRUEMOG wrote:Not bashing anything but this tour is the kind of thing that is frustrating. Band claims they are hard at work on a new album and yet another mini tour. Hard to be positive about Tool when they keep doing the same thing and selling $500 VIP packages in the process. Just don't understand why they can't spend that time finishing up writing and I don't understand why people keep going to their shows at this point with no new material. That said, if it makes people happy then I suppose it is a positive thing and I am sure for some this might their first time seeing the band.

Again not trying to be a dick and if this news makes you happy and you are excited for the shows that is really awesome. Just makes no sense to me. This isn't about a sense of entitlement or any other nonsense that MJK would start spewing out. Simply frustration about priorities. Say one thing do another that has been the Modus Operandi for quite some time now.

Oh well enjoy the shows to whomever is going

I just always continue to look at it as: the album is the album, and it's happening whenever it's going to happen. I don't think the tours add to or detract from that situation. Yeah, it gets them together and that can only lead to positive/productive energy towards the album in some way, but honestly at this point I think it's mostly irrelevant in that regard.

But, the guys are getting older. New album or no, there's a finite amount of time to see Tool live, and they're one of the best live bands ever. I'll take any chance I get to see them live before they hang it up.

THE1TRUEMOG wrote:Not bashing anything but this tour is the kind of thing that is frustrating. Band claims they are hard at work on a new album and yet another mini tour. Hard to be positive about Tool when they keep doing the same thing and selling $500 VIP packages in the process. Just don't understand why they can't spend that time finishing up writing and I don't understand why people keep going to their shows at this point with no new material. That said, if it makes people happy then I suppose it is a positive thing and I am sure for some this might their first time seeing the band.

Again not trying to be a dick and if this news makes you happy and you are excited for the shows that is really awesome. Just makes no sense to me. This isn't about a sense of entitlement or any other nonsense that MJK would start spewing out. Simply frustration about priorities. Say one thing do another that has been the Modus Operandi for quite some time now.

Oh well enjoy the shows to whomever is going

Your criticism is a valid one - the frustration is real. Personally though it doesn't really bother me what impact this tour has on the next album. Worst case it delays it by a couple of months - no big deal (to me) in the grand scheme of things.

What bothers me much more than album progress, is the way Tool handle ticket sales. Personally I find it a big kick in the balls that the only presales offered are VIP tickets, which is most cases aren't in high demand anyway (mostly due to price). Their peers such as Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead offer presales for pretty much every tour. Bands like Iron Maiden are making huge inroads in making scalping unviable.

And Tool has the audacity to say to fans "we'll reward your years of loyalty and patience by giving you the opportunity to pay $500 for a ticket". Assuming you have little interest in the VIP Experience (it seems like a solid one, so I'm not really knocking that) it seems actually cheaper to go down the resale road.

NIN doesn't even charge a fee, just have to sign up on their website, where as you have to be a pay to be a Toolarmy member just for that rediculous presale. Don't know the details of Iron Maiden's (guessing you do have to have a paying membership) or Radiohead's presale.

I agree that Tool is just being lazy here with no TA pre sale, tied to a credit card for entry. It would be a minimal effort and create a lot of good will. Fuck the fucking scalpers.

But in reality the ticket sellers have become the scalpers anyway.

For sure, it'd be nice to see Tool stand up for their fans for a change though, rather than seeing them as a cash cow to be milked.

Not that I'm against the band making money per se, and think that the VIP offering is a good one, but at a time when goodwill towards Tool fans is in very short supply, a decent presale would go a long way...

Even if there were a $10 surcharge to regular tickets to pay someone in the Tool camp to manage the presales I don't think many would complain (too much anyway, there's always some who complain).

EVERY fucking band has presales now. Bands that play arenas and amphitheaters, anyway.

Having said that, none of it really chafes me personally because I've found even a lot of "official" presales conspicuously have a lot of really good seats "blocked off." Granted, it'd still be cool to see Tool be a frontrunner in terms of standing up for fans and pushing boundaries in terms of giving power back to them in terms of ticket sales.

I almost always go the route of buying them from the second hand market though. I'm finally at a place in life where for the few arena shows I go to, it's worth it to me to pay an upcharge and cherry pick my spot, all while negating the stress of buying tickets during the hectic initial onsale time.